Overseaming sewing-machine.



A. GRIEB.

OVERSEAMING SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1913.

1,243,159. Patented Oct. 16,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 26' z} WITNESSES:

OF ELIZABETH, NEWJERSEY,ASSIG1\TOR TO THE SINGER 1VIA'J.\'I'UFAC- TUBING- COM'P-ANY, A CORPOBATIONOF NEW JERSEY 1' ALFRED GRIEB,

" ion.

OVERSEAMING SEWING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED GRIEB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizaboth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in O-verseaming Sewing\ lachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying. drawings.

This invention relates to an improvement in .overseaming sewing machines, and more particularly to that ,class of mechanism comprising a reciprocating needle and two loopcarrying implements cooperating therewith, one of .which implements, a threaded looper, passesits thread through the needleloop below thework and serves to hold said loop while its .own loop is seized by the second loop-carrying implement and drawn over the edge of the work into the path of the needle. .The invention provides compact and eflicient mechanism ofthis type, especially adapted. to act upon heavy fabrics; said mechanism including means .for perfectly controlling the two threads dur ing every stage of the overseaming operation.

In the present embodiment of the inven tion the needle-bar, carrying the usual eyepointed needle, is reciprocated by a link connection between the same and the outer end of the roclesliaft'mounted within the overhanging arm of the frame, an oscillating movement being imparted to said rock, shaft from a crank upon the driving shaft by an intermediate pitman. The driving shaft is provided with a series of eccentrics one of which actuates a rock-lever which in turn imparts operative movements to an open-jawed loop-spreading hook and-. 'to: thread-controlling members for the two threads; asecond eccentric'actuates arockarm which serves as acarrierfor the threaded looper and for a needle-guard; and a third eccentric actuates a rock-lever which" imparts reciprocating movements to the feed-dog, said feed-dog being mounted upon a sleeve carried by a fourth driving shaft eccentric which causes said feed-dog to rise andfall and thus complete the four-motion feed. V

The construction is such that the thread loop-spreading hook. The blade of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application ma July 21', 1913. Serial No. 780,126.

threaded looper moves in an are from a point below the needle-eye in its extreme lower position to a point immediately below theiwoi'k and slightly beyond'its edge; said are extending diagonally of the workplate so that the looper blade passes through the needle-loop below the'work at the rear of the needle andpresents its own loop to the hook at a point slightly beyond the edge of the wo'rkand opposite the side of the needle. The advancing I threaded looper-loop and drawing one limb thereof in front of the needle, so that the latter in its descent may pass'between' the two limbs of said loop. To accomplish this result the loop-spreading hook is sustained from inclined bearing members, so that as the hook moves upwardly and 'l outwardly to' spread the looper-loop over the work, it also moves forwardly of the needle, the entire movement being in an inclinedpath relative to the line of feed. During the aforesaid operations thread-controlling arms carried by the hook-operating rock-lever, in coopera tionwith a thread-drawing member carried by the needle-bar,"perform the necessary slack-forming and take-up operations completely control the two threads. Y

The loop-spreading hook may be replaced wlth a second eyed looper carrying a thread whose loop is passed through that of the primary looper and presented for passage of the needle to form a three-" thread overseam, such overseam having been heretofore effected by similar mechanism in a manner well understood in the art. f

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front side elevation, partly in section. of a sewing machine embodyingmy improvements. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of thesame. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail perspective views of the threaded looper,

needle, and loop-spreading hook, and their connections, showing the relative positions. ofsuch members in different stages of their operation. Fig. 6 is a top'plan view of the loop-spreading hook, the threadedlooper, and their connections. Fig. 7 is a view of two pieces of material united and overseamed by the present construction.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the bed-plate of a frame having the usual overhanging arm 2 with head 3, the latter being provided with bearings for the needle bar 4 carrying the eye-pointed needle 5. The needle-bar is provided with the usual fixed collar 6 connected by means of link 7 to crank-arm 8 mounted upon the rockshaft 9 journaled in the overhanging arm of the frame and deriving operative movements from driving shaft lO'by means of pitman 11 and crank 12. In the .head of the frame is journaled the usual presserbar 13 carrying presser-foot 14.

In the present, instance the :needle-bar carries a thread-drawing member 15, the two thread-engaging arms of which extend outwardly beyond the head 3 through suitable slotsv formed in said head. Said arms are adapted to draw the needle thread at proper intervalsand to cooperate with the forked thread-guides 15 embracing its path of movement and with the thread-releasing arm 16, as hereinafter more fully described. 4

The top of the bed-plate is provided with two upwardly extending lugs 17 inclined with respect to the line of feed and serving to support shaft 18 which affords a bearing for rock-arm 19. Rock-arm 19 serves as a carrier for the threaded looper 20 and needle-guard 21, the shank of the looper entering an opening formed in the outer end of said arm and being fixed therein by setscrew-19 1 The needlaguard, which may be of any suitable form, is provided with a foot which is fastened to the face ofsaid arm by screws, as shown in Fig. 1.

Threaded looper 20 is given its operative movements by driving shaft eccentric B embraced by the strap 22 22 of a short pitman 22, connected to crank-arm 23 upon' the rock-arm hub by ball-stud 24, the ball of the latter fitting a socket formed in pitman 22, undue vibration of the two members thus connected being prevented by intermediate slotted spring-plate 25. Rockarm 19 also carries a thread-guide 26 of suitable form, as shown in Fig. 1.

Threaded looper 20 has its operative movements confined to a path below the work, its'function being to pass its thread,

through the needle-loop and to hold the latter until its own loop is seized by the spreading hook and is carried by it over the edge of the work and into the path of the needle, as hereinafter more fully described.

Extending from the overhanging arm 2 are lugs 27 one lug being disposed below the other, said lugs affording bearings for v the inclined shaft 28 to which rock-lever 29 is rigidly connected, the shaft being arranged diagonally of the work-plate. The front end of rockelever 29 is connected by a stud-screw 30 with the apertured upper arm of'the elbow-lever 31. The lateral arm of elbow-lever 31 is provided with a boss through an opening formed in the .up- .wardly extending portion of the frame and carries the ball-stud 34 which is embraced by the strap 35 of the actuating pitman 35 provided at its lower end with the strap 36 embracing the driving shaft eccentric A. It will be seen that the arrangement of rocklever 29 and rock-arm 33 permits said members to move the loop spreading hook in a plane inclined relatively to a vertical plane through the line of'feed, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 6.

Fixed upon the rear arm of rock-lever 29 and adjacent stud 34 by means of screw '38 is the upwardly extending thread-controlling arm 37. Shaft 28 has fixed thereon beyond lower lug 27 by means of the set screw 40 the downwardly extending thread-controlling arm 39. The outer ends of controller members 37 and 39 are apertured to receive respectively the needle-thread and the looper-thread. I

The feed-dog41 is mounted upon a strap which embraces driving shaft 'feed lift eccentric C, shown in dottedv lines Fig. 1, from which it derives its rising and falling movements. The work-advancing or feeding movements of the feed-dog are derived from the driving shaft eccentric D, pitman 42, segmental arm 43 and link 44, the latter being pivotally connected with the feeddog. The length of feeding movement may be varied by shifting thestud-bolt 42 upon the segmental arm 43.

In threading the machine, the needle thread is passed through tension device 45,

and the eye of thread-controller member 37 and thence through the thread-guide 15 and over thread-releasing arm 16 to the The lower or looper thread is needle '5. passed through tension device 446, threadcontroller arm 39 and thread-guide 26, and

thence through the thread-eyes of looper 20, v

as shown in Fig. 1. e

In the operation of the machine, rotation of the driving shaft will impart through rock-shaft 9, reciprocatory motion tothe needle-bar. A little after the needle 'pene trates the work, the parts assume the positions shown in Fig. 3. As the needle continues its descent, eccentric B moves pitman 22upward and threaded looper 20 advances to'seize the needle-loop. In the meantime the loop-spreading .hook moves in an are from a position above the work to below the upper end of the threaded looper-path the device 45, without pulling thread from' the supply. Therefore when the needle reaches its lowest position, the needle-thread is taut. To prevent the contracting tendency of the thread from stealing a portion ,-.of the needle-loop as the needle starts to 5 rise, the thread-giving movement of the thread controller arm 37 is caused to continue during the pause of the needle in its lowest position, thus relieving the strain on the thread before the loop presenting oper- 2 ation. At the same time the thread-controller arm 39 is carried upwardly to draw up the slack not required by the threaded looper during its advance.

In Fig. 4 the parts are shown in the positions they assume immediately prior to the needle-loop seizing operation, the work-plate being indicated by dotted lines. As the threaded looper continues its advancing movement from the position shown in Fig.

4, and as the looper seizesthe needle-loop,

hook 32 remains motionless for a brief period, in the dead-center position of eccentric A with respect to pitman 35, controllerarm 37 likewise remaining motionless, and the rising of the needle increasing the slack for the loop-seizing operation. The continued rotation of eccentric A moves pitman 35 downwardly thus rocking lever 29 upwardly and moving hook 32 upwardly and 40 forwardly until the latter, crossing the path of the advancing threaded looper, seizes the looper-loop at a point beyond the edge of the work and slightly below the same, the needle meanwhile rising above the throatplate and thread-controller 37 moving to the right.

As the needle rises from its position immediately above the throat-plate, the outer end of rock-arm 29 continues its upward 5o movement and carries arm 33 upwardlyand rocks elbow-lever 31 upon its fulcrum 30*, thereby carrying hook 32 to, the position shown in Fig. 5, the looper meanwhile hav ing advanced to its extreme upper position.

As the hook continues its movement, leaving the position shown in Fig. 5, the looper recedes, and, the hook in its movement carries one limb of the looper-loop directly in front of the needle (Fig. 1), the other limb so of said loop being carried to the rear of the needle by the feed, and the needle-loop being drawn forwardly on the looper-blade. The needle during its rise as aforesaid slides upon the needle-thread held taut below the work by the looper-blade, while conwork a stitch-length. After the descending troller-arm 37'moves' to the rightfth'erebyt drawing thread from the source 'offsuppl'y for the succeeding descent of the needle,"

and controller-arm 39 moves to theleft to form sufficient slack in "the looper' tl 1rea'd" m to permit the hook to spread thelooper-loo'p over the work. I I During the pause of the hook in'the dead, center position of eccentricA, the needle] point passes between the twolimbsjofthef looper-loop, while the threaded looperllre-f cedes sufliciently torele'ase the fneedle-l'oopf To draw up and partially set the released needleloop locked below the work by the looper-loop, as the needle descends the two arms of thread-drawing member 15engage the neede thread and draw the needle-loop toward the work, the needle sliding down i the thread until it enters the work. Atfthis point the inclined face of threadreleasing'gg member 16 carries the needle thread out of engagement with the arms of the 'thread drawing member, thus leavingslack below the thread-eyes of guide 15 for the work penetrating movement of'the needle." 9

As the'needle-point approaches" the wo'rln' the hook recedes, while thread-controller arm 37 advances'to furnish 'slack"thread, and thread-controller arm 39 moves upwardlyl The hook releases the looper-loop, as the needle-point enters the work while the upwardly moving controller arm 39 serves to draw said loop taut aroundthe needlef and the needle, in its continued descent below the work, completely sets the released' needle-loop upon the looper-thread loop on? the under face of the work". The hookcontinues its movement to a point beyond the edge of the work and above the worloplatef. from which point it movesdownwardlyin an are extending below'the work-plate the parts assuming the initial position shownin' Fig. 3 for the succeeding stitch-forming cycle. It will be noted that the looper-blade moves forwardly, i. e., toward'the operator, 110 and upwardly as it projects its loop through c the needle-loop. Itv is therefore 'neces'sarfy to cause theloop-spreading hook 32 to move forwardly and'upw'ardly'close by the side of the looper-blade in order thatfthe hook may, with certainty, seize'the"'looper loop. It has been found by experiment that, by inclining the axes of the parts 28, 30, 3O and 33 slightly to thevertical plane through the line of feed,'the hook 32 is caused, not only to seize the looper-loop as above described, but also to thereafter moveabove and across the line of feed morenearly at a right angle thereto than it otherwise would. The hook 32 is'thus caused to move to a position closely in front'of the needle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to bring the looper-loop directly under the 'needle,"the feed having in the meantime moved the needle has entered the looper-loop the hook 32 retracts, and by virtue of the above described positioning of the parts 28, 30, 3O and 33*, it is enabled to retract from its position closely in front of the needle without striking the same.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a needle, a work-support, and means for reciprocating the needle, of a threaded looper mounted to operate below said work-support, a cooperating loop engaging member and a movable fulcrum therefor, a rock arm and a fixed fulcrum therefor above the work-support, a connection between said rock arm and the said loop engaging member, and means whereby actuation of said rock arm will operate said loop engaging member toward and from the work-support and in a path inclined to the line of feed.

2. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a needle, a work-support, and means for reciprocating the needle, of a threaded looper mounted to operate below said work-support, a cooperating loop-engaging member mounted above the worksupport, a movable fulcrum therefor, a rockarm actuated upon a fixed fulcrum, a connection between said rock-arm and the said loop-engaging member, actuating means for said rock-arm adapted to cause said loopengaging member to dwell while the needle enters well into the loop presented thereby, and means whereby actuation of said rockarm will operate said loop-engaging member toward and from the work-support in a forwardly inclined plane.

3. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a horizontal work-support, a needle and means for reciprocating the same, of two cooperating loop-engaging members moving in intersecting paths and supported respectively upon opposite sides of said work-support, and means adapted to operate the upper of said loop-engaging members in a plane inclined relatively to the vertical plane through the line of feed, said means including a rock-arm operating above the work-support and having an interval of rest during the descent of the needle.

4. .In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a frame comprising a work-support, a standard, and an overhanging arm supported by said standard, of a needle, and an actuating shaft therefor within said overhanging arm, a threaded looper mounted to operate below said worksupport, a cooperating loop-engaging member supported above the work-support, a rock-arm adapted to transmit movement to said loop-engaging member in a plane in-[ clined forwardly of the needle, an eccentric upon the driving-shaft, and an eccentric rod within the standard and operatively connected to said rock-arm.

5. An overseaming sewing machine, having in combination, a needle, a work-support, a threaded looper mounted to operate below said work-support, a rock-arm mounted in a bearing disposed above said worksupport and inclined relatively to the line of feed, actuating means therefor, a second rock-arm mounted in similarly inclined bearings above said work-support, a loop engaging member, and an elbow-lever connecting said rock-arms and serving as a carrier for said loop-engaging member.

6. I11 an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a work-support, a needle and means for reciprocating the same, of a loop-engaging member mounted to operate both below and above said work-support, a rock-arm mounted above said work-support and connected to said loop-engaging mem ber, thread-controlling arms carried by said rock-arm, and operating mechanism for the rock-arm adapted to hold the same. motionless during periods of the needle reciprocation.

7 In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle, and actuating means therefor, of two loopengaging members movable in intersecting paths, means including a rock arm for op erating one of said loop-engaging members, an eyed controller-arm carried by said rockarm, means including a tension device for guiding the needle-thread from the source of supply directly tovthe controller-arm, and actuating mechanism for the rockarm whereby the controller-arm is operated as a pull-off member throughout the movement of the rock-arm in one direction, and as a slack-forming member throughout the reverse movement of said rock-arm.

8. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a frame comprising a work-support, a standard and an arm overhanging said work-support, of a drivingshaft below said work-support, a needle, a needle-actuating rock-shaft journaled within said overhanging arm, a threaded looper, a loop-spreader, a thread controller-arm, and a rock-shaft conected to and adapted to operate the loop-spreader and the controllerarm simultaneously, whereby the controllerarm acts to furnish slack thread to the spreader through out the effective action of the same and thereafter acts to set the spread and concatenated loop.

9. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a frame, a work-support, a needle-bar, a needle and actuating means therefor, of two cooperating loop-engaging members moving in intersecting paths, actuating means for one of said members comprising a rock-arm mounted above said work-support, a needle-thread controller and a looper-thread controller operatively carried by said rock-arm, a stitch setting member operatively carried by said needle bar, and means for disengaging thread from contact with said stitch setting member comprising an inclined arm fixed to the frame.

10. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with work sustaining means and a reciprocating needle, of a thread-carrying member cooperating with said needle upon one side of the work, two fixed fulcra disposed at the opposite side of the work, a rock-arm mounted upon each of said fulcra and extended therefrom in the direction of the other, a link connection between said rock-arms, and a second thread-carrier sustained by said link connection and actuated thereby independently of the first-named thread-carrying member and adapted to cooperate with the needle upon the opposite side of the work from said member.

11. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a horizontal work-support, a driving shaft, a needle and means connected with the driving shaft for reciproeating the same, of two cooperating loopengaging members moving in intersecting paths and mounted respectively upon opposite sides of said work-support, and means adapted to operate the upper of said loopengaging members in a plane inclined relatively to a vertical plane through the line of feed, said means including a rock-arm actuated by connections with the driving shaft independent of the needle reciprocating means and supported in bearings disposed obliquely of the line of feed.

12. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a work-support, a straight reciprocating needle, and a thread carrying looper adapted to cooperate with the needle below the worksupport, of a spreader mounted above the work-support and adapted to engage the looper-loop at one side of the line of seam and lift it to a position embracing the needle-path, and means whereby said spreader is caused to move in a plane oblique to both the horizontal and vertical planes through the line of feed.

18. In an overseaming sewing machine, the combination with a work-support, a reciprocating needle, and looper mechanism cooperating with the needle, of needle-thread controlling means including a thread-engaging member, means for moving said member to give up less thread than required by the descending needle, whereby the needle is caused to draw up and set the preceding stitch, said thread giving movement continuing during the reversal of movement of the needle, thereby relieving the taut needlethread prior to the loop-presenting operation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED GRIEB.

Witnesses:

H. A. KORNEMANN, Jr., WM. P. STEWART.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

